CHENNAI: The railway police have launched a search for a trio who allegedly attacked and robbed four passengers on an EMU near Gummidipoondi on Tuesday night.

Police sources said that the gang fled with Rs 5,000 in cash and four mobile phones from the passengers after attacking them with machetes. The injured passengers were identified as Mouli (24), Sarath (26), Uthirapathi (27) and Ilayaraghavan (22), who were travelling on the local train bound for Gummidipoondi. When the train slowed down while approaching Kavarapettai around midnight, three men boarded the train.

All of a sudden, they took out machetes hidden inside their shirts and started threatening passengers. When the four passengers refused to part with the valuables, they attacked and inflicted cut injuries on them and took mobile phones and cash from them. The suspects then pulled the emergency stop chain and jumped on to the tracks and fled from there, police sources said. After the train halted at Kavarapettai railway station, the victims lodged a complaint with the railway police. Special teams have been formed to trace the trio.

Police are analysing CCTV footage to identify the suspects and are also tracking previous offenders to identify if they were involved in the case.